Vehicle-brake.



UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELLSWORTH M LETTS, OF WAVERLY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO'ELLSWORTH GAMBLE, `OF WAVERLY, NEWVYORK.

VEHICLE-BRAKE.'

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent N0. 699,962, dated May 13, 1902.

I Application iiled September 16,1901.` Serial No. 'l5-,542.. (No model.) 4

To all whom/,it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLsWoRrH M. Lnr'rs, a citizenofthe United States, residing at Waverly,in thecou nty of Tioga and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in VehicleLBrakes, of which the foll lowing isaspecitication.

My invention relates to improvements in brakes forvehicles, and is designed more particularly for use in connection with ythatclass of road-vehicles commonly designated as automobiles;7 but the brake lmay beused in other relations, if desired. The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and' pointed out in.l the appended claims.

The objectof the invention isfthe provision of an improved band-brake which will be simple in construction and effective in operation.

A further object is to provide an improved brake which will avoid the necessity of pel which will'exert its rpheral or tire contact with' the wheel and power upon one of the axles of the vehicle. n

These objects are obtained byl theconstruc tion illustrated in the, accompanying drawings, in which i Figure I is a side elevation of a Vehiclebrake constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a face View of the same.v Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the eye and eye-plate, respectively. Fig. 5 is an elevation of one ofthe links employedin the invention, and Fig. Gis a similar view of the hook. n

To the rear axle 1 of the vehicle', adjacent the Wheel-hubs, I mount a'friction disk or drum 2, around which is placed a friction-band 3, having riveted lto one end thereof an eye I and at its other end a detachable eye-plate The detachable plate 5 has the lower side of its body portion provided With-serrations 6. The end of the friction-band which is engaged by the plate 5 is bent at right angles with itself for a short distanceand engages in the serrations in the plate 5 and is pro'- vided with an elongated slot 7, through which passes a securing-bolt 8, which also passes through the said plate and is secured by a nut 9. It will be obviousv.vthat by this construction of brake-band the same can be adjusted ltotit different sizes of brake-drums.

To the inner side of the brake-band 3 I secure a leather or other suitable lining, soas to preserve the band.

The band 3 issuspended .from a bar or bracket 10,-integral-With or attached to the running-gear of the vehicle, by a hook l1,

riveted or otherwise madefast to the outer 6o side of the brake-band.

The hooked end of the rod 11 engages the rprojected rod or bracket 10 and is prevented from displacement by a block 12, slidably mounted in a supporting-rod adjacentits hooked end.

The block `12 has a threaded tongue 13, which extendsthrough an opening-14 in the said rod and is-provided on its outer end'with a'nut 15, by which means it is secured in its adjusted position.'

16 designates a pair of bell-crank levers, between the lower ends of which are secured by means of pivot-pins 17 the eyes of the plates 4 and 5 of the brake-band. Secured by a pivot-pin 18, between the levers 16, is a downwardly-curved link 19. The outer end of thislink 19 is pivoted to the upper end of a vertically-arranged short link 20, which is formed with a centrally-arranged screw- 8o thread opening 21, adaptedto Areceive the rear end of a brake-rod 22, provided with screw-threads.

In order to provide a suitable support for the rear end of the brake-rod, I have the lowerend of the link 20 supported bya Vertically-arranged rod 23, having its upper end` pivoted to said short link audits lower end pivotally mounted on ears 24, which are porting rod l1.

The forward end of thev brake-rod 22 is pivotally attached'to an operating-leverpivotally mounted on 'the body of the vehicle in convenient reach of the operator.

From the foregoing description the operation will be readily understood. The brakerod 22 is drawn forward in the direction indicated by the arrow, and through the medium of the link 19 the bell-crank levers 16 are fixed to the lower end of the brake-band-sup- 9o IOO drawn forward and by their peculiar oonstruction and arrangement will tighten the friction-band 3 upon the drum 2.

It is obvious that a foot-lever can be used in lieu of a hand-lever to eiect the braking operation.

I am aware that many minor changes in the constructions and arrangement and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described Without departing from the spirit and nature of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A vehicle-brake comprising a frictiondrum fixed to one of the vehicle-axles, a friction-band encircling the drum, a pair of bellcranklevers, the ends of the bandbeing connected to the lower ends of the said levers, a rod secured to the outer face of the brakeband and having its upper end hooked to engage a bracket on the running-gear for supporting the said brake-band, a link pivotally secured between the upper ends of the said levers, a vertically-arran ged rod pivotally secured at its lower end to the brake-band, a short link connecting the free ends of the said link and rod, and a brake-rod secured to said short link.

2. A vehicle-brake comprising a frictiondrum fixed to one of the Vehicle-axles, a friction-band encircling the drum, a pair of bellcrank levers, the ends of the band being connected to thc lower ends of the bell-crank levers and the upper ends of said bell-crank levers being secured to abrake-rod, a rod secured to the outer side of the brake-band and having its upper end hooked to engage a bracket on the running-gear for supporting the said brake-band, a link provided with a central screw-threaded opening for the reception of the brake-operating rod, and a pair of rods pivoted to the upper and lower sides ot' the said link for supporting the same, the upper rod being secured to the said bell-crank levers and the lower rod secured to the said brake-band-supporting rod. v

3. A vehicle-brake, comprising a frictiondrum fixed to one of the vehicle-axles, a friction-band encircling the drum, eye-plates secured to the ends of said friction-band through the medium of which the band may be adjusted, a rod provided with a hooked end secured to the said friction-band for supporting the same, a sliding block arranged upon said bar, adjacent its hooked end for preventing displacement of the same, a pair of bell-crank levers pivoted to the eyes'of the said friction-band, and extending on either side of the said supporting-rod, a brake-rod attached to said bell-crank levers and means for operating said brake-rod.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELLS lVORTH M. LETTS.

lVitnesses:

WATSON E. ROBINSON, ROBERT SCOTT WHITMAN. 

